


Hello, Intern

by CoffeeWithSprinkles



Category: Hellsing
Genre: Death, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Violence, au where millenium doesnt appear yet, firearms, monster with a soft spot, possible ooc but im doing everything i can to avoid, rating could go up in the future, vulgarity, wuthering heights spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28057371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeWithSprinkles/pseuds/CoffeeWithSprinkles
Summary: You're taking a gap semester from your studies at Oxford and you're looking for a small job to help cover rent and groceries. You find an advert in the paper for an internship at an extermination company. You figured extermination meant roaches.
Relationships: Alucard (Hellsing) & Reader, Alucard (Hellsing)/Reader
Comments: 22
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Follow me on Twitter to get updates @Sugarcarrd  
> I'm pretty nervous for this fic. Making romance out of such an intense character like Alucard is really difficult, especially for a huge baby like me. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!

“Wanted: Paid intern. Must have computer skills and fast writing skills. Must have a driver’s license. Call Howard Brown at 01632 960806”  
That was what the advertisement in the paper said. They offered ten pounds an hour, which was handsome pay to a college student looking to cover rent and groceries during her gap semester. The interview was rather simple, and you received a call back in less than a week, notifying you that you had been hired. Your first day was Monday, October the eleventh at 7 A.M. Your parents were incredibly proud to hear your first job on your own paid so well, and your friends were slightly envious. Your parents were even more elated to discover that it was a government job, something that you had not even known until you came in on the first day. The paper simply listed the employer as the headquarters of an “extermination company.” You figured that meant roaches.  
You roused on Monday, wiggling out of your sheets and squinting at the clock on the bedside table. Seven wouldn’t have been an awful start time if the office wasn’t an hour’s drive outside of the city. You brushed your hair, slid into your stockings and skirt, and trotted out the door of your apartment. You settled into your 1990 Taurus, hitting the defrost, and made your way out of the city. The route was quite clear; barely any cars were headed out this way. You sent the address of the place to your mother and your best friend for your safety.  
You arrived at a manor, just at the edge of the woods outside of London. You pulled up the gate and a heavily armed guard came up to your window.  
“Identification?” said he. You fumbled in your purse for the card the interviewers gave you. You handed it to him and he eyeballed it.  
“I’m new, it’s my first day,” you explained. The guard handed it back to you. He walked back to the gate and spoke into the radio on his chest. The gate receded and the guard signaled you in. You drove up to the front through a circular drive through. A valet opened your door, to whom you offered your keys. She drove the car out of the driveway and back through the gate to somewhere unseen. You walked up the steps, craning up to get a view of the entire manor. It was old; it couldn’t have been younger than one hundred. You scaled the last of the stone steps and opened the door. There in the foyer stood Howard Brown, whom you met at the interview. He was conversing with a woman you had not seen before.  
“Ah, good morning!” he began, turning towards you. “You must be the new intern.”  
“Yes indeed!” you affirmed. “It’s a pleasure to be here.”  
“Young lady, I’d like to introduce you to someone,” said he, leading you back to the woman. “This is Sir Integra Hellsing, the CEO of the organization.”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Hellsing,” you said. She shook your hand, giving a faint smile when you gave your name. Sir Hellsing wore a suit and glasses and had a cigar nestled in her lips. She was rather tall and had platinum hair that reached all the way down her torso. She wore a brooch of a violet on her lapel, which contrasted against her otherwise intense appearance.  
“Welcome to the Hellsing Organization. Mr. Brown here will answer any questions you have.”  
“Ah, pardon me, but… Hellsing Organization?” She gave you a look. “I’m sorry, but I never heard the name of the company before. All I know is that you’re an extermination business, right?” Sir Integra moved her look to Howard.  
“And this is why we’ve hired an intern to do the advertisements, Mr. Brown,” she declared. Howard shrunk a bit.  
“Sir Hellsing, in my defense, if you look at it the right way, we are truly an extermination business,” said he. Integra sighed. You felt your stomach clutch. If not bugs, what did “extermination” mean?  
“I suppose _I_ will give you a tour of the headquarters, then,” Sir Hellsing declared. “We’ll take the long route to your workstation. I have plenty of time before my next meeting.” She tapped the edge of her cigar on a nearby ashtray and motioned towards the stairs. You stayed behind her, waving to Mr. Brown as you left.  
The halls of the Hellsing manor were unlike any Victorian home you had ever seen. Long red rugs gave to marble columns and endless portraits of unknown figures.  
“The Hellsing Organization has existed for over five hundred years,” Sir Hellsing began. “By the order of Her Majesty, we are tasked with,” she paused, sighing, “ _exterminating_ that which she deems unsightly.” Your eyebrows flexed. She stopped walking and turned back to you. “That entails those whose existence defy the will of God.”  
“You mean… this is a religious terrorist group?” Sir Hellsing laughed a bit.  
“No… but we deal with those too when necessary.” She puffed her cigar. “Put simply, we kill vampires.”  
Vampires.  
You laughed. You were happy to have such a funny boss.  
“So… bat extermination?”  
“No. We kill vampires.” Her gaze was unwavering. You were silent. Maybe she’s not that funny.  
“Is there a punchline I’m missing?”  
“We hire an elite team of soldiers to respond to vampire-related emergencies. Our ultimate goal is to destroy the species entirely.” Sir Hellsing turned back, continuing to walk. You hesitated a moment before following her; perhaps it was still Sunday night and you were just having a stress dream?  
“This here leads to my office,” she said, knocking on a heavy wooden double door. She opened it and walked into the small room. She motioned to a little desk. “This here is your space. Beyond those doors is where I am. My butler, Walter, will come in periodically to give you duties. Otherwise, you’re to help me manage my schedule.” The desk had a big white monitor on it and a quality-looking chair. You craned over the desk.  
“Where’s the modem?” you asked.  
“It’s broadband,” she answered. Nice. “Come now, I’ll take you to your first task.” She led you out of the office and back through the halls to another, even grander set of wooden doors. She knocked and entered, revealing a long table surrounded by men in suits. They chattered amongst themselves until they turned to the door.  
“Gentlemen, this is our new intern,” Sir Hellsing began, motioning to you. You introduced yourself. “Your first task will be to fetch coffee for us. Can you handle that?” You nodded. You took a pen and pad, walking around the table to take the coffee orders for each man. Most of them were quite pleasant, introducing themselves and welcoming you. You came back up to Sir Hellsing, who requested her coffee black. You turned to leave when a voice hissed from the ceiling.  
“Don’t I get to place an order?” it crooned. You gasped and whipped around to view the bust of a corpse-like man poking through the ceiling. Sir Hellsing and the men at the table didn’t flinch until you screamed.  
“Since when do you drink coffee? ” Sir Hellsing delivered, shockingly nonchalant.  
“Uh? Sir Helling?” You frantically motioned to the thing in the ceiling. “Do you not see a problem here?” Sir Hellsing sighed.  
“Alucard, get out of there, you’re scaring the new intern.” The bust dropped from the ceiling in a red blur. From the ground rose an intimidatingly large man. His face was shadowed by a wide-brimmed hat that was red to match his coat. All that could be made of his face was a pair of cloudy orange sunglasses and an ever-present grin.  
“This is Alucard. He’s our secret weapon,” Sir Hellsing explained.  
“Charmed,” said he, touching the brim of his hat. You had to tilt your head back to look him in the eye.  
“You- you... You just-,” was all you could manage.  
“Since we’re an organization made to fight vampires,” she began, “the best tool you can use against vampires is another vampire.”  
Vampires.  
“Is this.. This is just intern hazing, right?” you asked. The man’s grin widened, a set of fangs popping out over the bottom of his lip.  
“I don’t know what else you need to hear to understand that we are serious,” Sir Hellsing grumbled. You glanced at her, to the men at the table, then to the man in front of you.  
“Why are you awake?” Sir Hellsing asked the man.  
“I could feel someone new was here. Glad it’s just a cute little intern,” he chirped. You flexed your brows. “Well, perhaps you can fetch me a drink some other day, hm?” he teased. He took your face in his hand; your makeup smudged on his white gloves. His fingers were ice cold. He gently tilted your head, bringing his face close and surveying you for a moment. He backed off, nodded to Sir Hellsing, and sunk into the floor.  
“So yes,” said Sir Hellsing, “we fight _vampires_.”  
“Was… was he-?”  
“Yes. You don’t have to worry about it. You’ll just be running errands and helping check records.” She paused. “As I was saying, here’s the company card. There’s a coffee shop just fifteen minutes from here.” With that, you took the card and went on your way.  
The whole trip to and from the coffee shop felt surreal. You were practically dazed, allowing your brain’s autopilot to drive while your mind stewed in thought. You pulled back up at the organization, balancing drink trays like a waitress. The halls of the manor were that of a labyrinth; you struggled to recall where that meeting room was. While trekking a long hallway, you heard heavy boots approaching from around the corner. The source of the footsteps revealed itself: the same vampire from earlier was walking down the hall. His gaze was fixed ahead of him and he did not acknowledge your presence. Walking towards him, you felt like a rabbit approaching a wolf. As you came close to passing him, you waved. He looked at you for a moment.  
“Hello, intern,” he said, never stopping. You continued walking. Some kind of fear pulsed in your veins for a moment, sending a chill creeping slowly down your spine. You at last came upon the door, knocking with your foot. It was opened by someone unknown and you went around the table delivering coffee and returning the card to Sir Hellsing.  
“Thank you, young lady,” said Sir Hellsing.  
“Anything else I can do?” you asked. Sir Hellsing thought for a moment.  
“That will be all. Do you have your pager on you?” You turned to eye your belt, confirming its presence. “Good. I’ll page you if I need anything. There’s not much to do, so you’re welcome to roam and meet your coworkers if you’d like.”  
“Thank you, Sir Hellsing,” you said, turning and leaving the meeting room. You meandered across the hall to lean against the wall. You fished for your phone, nudging it open and punching in your mother’s number. You began to wander down the hall as it rang.  
“Hello?” came your mother’s voice.  
“Hi mum.”  
“Hi, bunny! How’s work going?”  
“Good, it’s good! It’s kind of a quirky place, but… uh, mum, apparently this is a government agency.”  
“A government extermination agency? What, does the queen get royal-sized roaches or something?” You laughed a bit.  
“I guess, yeah.”  
“That’s great though, sweetheart! It’ll be great on your resume.”  
“The coworkers I’ve met so far are a bit,” you paused to look behind you, “odd.”  
“Have you made any friends?”  
“Ah, no, not yet. My boss doesn’t have any tasks for me right now, so she’s letting me go get acquainted.”  
“How’s the office?”  
“It isn’t even one. It’s a random manor on the edge of the city. They’ve got broadband internet, though.”  
“Yikes… Well, if you’re ever unsafe, your father and I are always at home, so don’t hesitate to call.”  
“Thanks. I’ll keep you posted. Love you, mum.”  
“Love you too, bunny.”

There was little else to do during the day. You chatted with a few other desk workers and put together a handful of spreadsheets. You bid the new people you met goodbye and stepped out of the manor to the valet. It had begun to rain; you shivered as your hosiery slicked to your legs. You wasted no time hopping in your car and turning on the heat. Your vision tunneled on the exit of the property, though you felt as though you could see shadows moving amongst the trees.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Follow me on Twitter for updates @CoffeesSprinkle

You had only been working for a week when you got your first emergency call. You had just settled into bed after a night at the pub when your pager screeched from the kitchen table. You sprang up to silence it. The screen showed a voice message from Sir Hellsing.  
“We need you to come in immediately. All of our soldiers have been deployed on an emergency mission and we cannot risk leaving the manor empty. You’ll be in charge with logging radio transmissions from the soldiers. Please hurry.” You grumbled, but made way to your closet to don soft trousers and to fetch leftover iced coffee from the fridge. You squished your hair into a scrunchie and trotted out to your car. The ride to the manor was perilous as the night rain pelted against the motorway. You arrived at the manor to find not one, but three guards standing at the gate. You presented your ID and they allowed you to pass. You walked in to be greeted by Howard once again.  
“Oh, thank the Lord you’re here,” he sighed. “There’s been a change of plans. Forget the radio log, we’re being invaded here. Take this.” He tossed a semi-automatic handgun to you. “Do you know how to use it?”  
“Uh, vaguely?” you whimpered. He huffed. The moonlight illuminated beads of sweat rolling down his face.  
“That should have a dozen shots in it. If we’re lucky, you won’t need to use it. But so far, we haven’t been so lucky.” With that, Howard motioned you to follow and ran up the stairs. You both went to turn a corner when you were met by a wall of what appeared to be walking corpses.  
“Zombies?” you screech-asked.  
“Not quite. Ghouls. I’ll explain later, but this is the work of a vampire.” Howard shot a bullet into the sea, hitting a ghoul in the nose. It collapsed to the floor, leaving a fountain of blood bubbling out of its mutilated, rotting face. “Shoot, damn it!” Howard commanded. Shivering, you lifted the gun. You squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet into a ghoul’s ear. The gun’s direction had skewed due to the placement of your finger. You shot again, this time landing a bullet in its eye. Howard struck another down as well as he shouted into his pager.  
“Integra, we need all units back at HQ.” He grunted as he shot another bullet. “I suspect we have been baited into leaving the manor vulnerable. We have a sea of-,” _bang_ , “ghouls in the halls, suspecting there’s a vampire here somewhere. Get back!” He pressed a button and crammed the pager back into his pocket, firing the gun again. As he shouted, you struck two more ghouls down. You stumbled through the piles of flesh as you continued to follow Howard. You turned again, stumbling upon the corpses of the same three guards from earlier.  
“Shoot their heads. They’ll be ghouls soon,” Howard explained. The man beneath the end of your gun was barely alive, huffing and twitching. Your gut squeezed as you watched blood dribble out of his mouth. You shut your eyes and shot. Howard turned back to you. “I’d say we go to the safehouse, but as long as there is a vampire there will be more and more ghouls. The fleet won’t be back for another hour or more.”  
“Where do we even look?” Before Howard could respond, a thundering boom emanated from the basement.  
“There’s your answer,” he said. You sprinted back to the foyer and to the basement steps, hobbling over lifeless ghouls along the way. Howard peered around the door: the stone walls were oozing blood as corpses fidgeted on the floor.  
“More men down. Quick, shoot them before they get back up.” Blood began to seep into your shoes as you shot down the corpses. You and Howard turned to continue forth when Howard let out a revolting scream from behind you. When you turned around, his head was already mutilated. He shot his gun in a desperate attempt to take the monster down until his gun clicked empty and he collapsed. You aimed at the surviving ghoul; once again the gun skewed from your finger placement and struck its jaw. You adjusted your finger and shot again, only to find your gun empty. You stumbled backwards and collapsed, gripping the bloody stone floor as you crawled back from the oncoming ghoul.  
“Someone help!” you shouted. The ghoul’s throat gurgled as it roared. Its wounded jaw unhinged, preparing to clamp down on your head.  
_Bang_.  
The ghoul’s face exploded, pouring blood on your shirt. You gagged in disgust as the stench attacked your senses. You righted yourself, squirming in your blood-soaked clothes. You turned to search for the source. It was--  
“Hello, Intern,” he said. The vampire from before possessed a black semi-automatic handgun with an oddly long barrel. A cross engraved on the side of it gleamed.  
“It’s you.”  
“You’re welcome,” he griped, smiling. “By the way, center the pad of your finger on the trigger. You’ll miss less.” You grumbled.  
“Mr. Brown…”  
“Take a gun from a body and stay behind me.”  
“This wasn’t in my job description.” He stared you down through his glasses.  
“Do you want to be alive?” That wasn’t hard to answer. “Then stay behind me.” He walked past you, stepping over Howard’s body. His coat billowed behind him as he marched into the darkness.  
“Hey… Alucard, right?” you asked. He made no sign of acknowledgment. You hoped that meant yes. “Thank you. For saving me.” He laughed a bit.  
“That won’t be the last time.” You blinked hard. Without warning, his arm craned back, the end of his gun pointing at your head. You yelped and ducked just before he fired. You heard a howl, followed by the thud of a ghoul falling behind you. You whimpered as you stumbled back up.  
“Can _that_ be the last time, please?”  
“I’ll think about it,” he teased. At last, you came upon a wooden door with a pool of blood creeping out from underneath. “Stay outside and keep that gun trained on the door. Can you use it?” You held a sub-compact glock in your hands. “It’s only got a few shots left. Use it wisely, these bullets are expensive.” With that, he slid into the room. You centered your eyes through the sights; you stood so rigid that the gun never moved. Even as you heard thudding and snarling from within the room, your arms never wavered. Alucard cackled inside, accompanied by a man’s agonized screech and some disgusting, gory noises that you didn’t dare try to imagine. At last, the door flung open. Terrified, you shot instantly. You lowered the gun to see a bullet hole in Alucard’s chest. You screamed.  
“Oh my god! Are you ok? I’ll call someone!” You reached for your pager but he seized your wrist. The bullet hole was already gone. “But… but I-”  
“I said use them wisely. Shooting me is not using the bullets wisely.” He let go of your wrist and started towards the exit of the basement. You peered into the room. Mutilated pieces were strewn about a dark, dungeon-like space. The smell was incredibly overwhelming to the point your eyes watered and your knees went weak. The agonizing smell and sight combined with the excess adrenaline from fighting finally broke you. You stumbled, collapsing to the floor. Your head would’ve landed in a puddle of blood if it wasn’t stopped by a hand. You were only barely able to recognize that your body had been lifted until you went black.

***  
“Intern!” shouted a voice. Your eyes peeled open to see Sir Hellsing staring down at you.  
“Sir Hellsing!” She looked up above you.  
“What happened?”  
“It seems Mr. Brown is dead. Miss Intern here did well in assisting him in defense,” explained another voice above you. You moved to swing your legs over the edge of the bed, only to find that you definitely weren’t in a bed. You perked up to see yourself being held in Alucard’s arms. Fear gripped you as you saw his glasses gleam yellow in the dark.  
“Put me down!” you shouted. You squirmed, rolling to escape his grasp. He restrained your legs to keep you from kicking as he set you down. You backed off from him.  
“Young lady, you’ve done a great service for the organization today,” said Sir Hellsing.  
“Is this a regular occurrence?” you asked. Sir Hellsing looked at Alucard, who laughed a bit.  
“More regular than your average office job,” she said. “For future reference, there’s a glock and spare magazines in your desk drawer.”  
“Thank you, Sir Hellsing. I should get home, I don’t wanna be seen in public covered in blood like this.” Sir Hellsing gave you a look. You looked down to find your clothes had been replaced by a large dress shirt and a baggy pair of socks. You ran your fingers through your hair to feel it was wet and clean.  
“I took care of it,” said Alucard. His shit-eating grin was illuminated in the shadow of his hat. You flushed, your eyebrows growing intense.  
“Don’t ever do that again, you bastard,” you spat.  
“You have a real problem with showing thanks.”  
“Bloody pervert.”  
“Would you have preferred I left you unconscious amongst the rotting corpses?” he seethed. You sighed and turned to Sir Hellsing.  
“I’ll be headed home, then. I’ll see you on Monday.” With that, you exchanged a nod and headed out. The rain still poured, so you were in your car in an instant. You cranked up the heat and sped home. The ride was even more uncomfortable. The distraction of having no shoes and being completely waterlogged only made it feel more perilous. You finally arrived home, sprinting into your apartment. You shook the socks off instantly but meandered to the mirror to look at the shirt. It was huge; the hem nearly touched your knees and the sleeves shrouded your hands. Thankfully, the heater of the car helped to dry it off. You walked into your bedroom and checked the clock, which read 4:12 AM. Exhaustion combined with trauma overcame the will to change out of that bastard’s shirt. You slid into bed and felt around for a stuffed animal. A thick yawn parted your lips. As you nestled into your pillow, you brought your hands close to your face; the cuffs of the shirt smelled like gunsmoke. You would’ve moved them away in disgust if you weren’t already drifting to sleep. The large size of the shirt made you feel safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sir Hellsing gives all staff the night shift and has you tend to file sorting in the archives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it seems small-talky now, but I promise I have plenty of plans brewing once I kick this into gear. Bear with me c:

That Sunday, you woke around four past noon. You sat down at your desk and booted up your computer; the modem squealed as you turned the Internet on. You opened up AOL to look through your emails, noticing you had one from Sir Hellsing.

> Dear employees,
> 
> Firstly, I apologize for the short notice of this change. Due to recent events, this week all shifts will be extended as an added security measure. Shifts will begin an hour later and end at midnight. You will be compensated for the extra time and allowed a break for dinner. If you have any conflicts, please do not waste time in informing of such.
> 
> I will see you all tomorrow.
> 
> Sir Integra Hellsing

The day passed quickly. You rolled out of bed the next morning and followed your routine again. You got to the manor and settled into your desk, awaiting your tasks. A knock came from the door, followed by the entrance of Sir Hellsing’s butler.

“Young lady, I’ve come with your duties for today,” he said.

“Oh, yes! It’s Walter, right?”

“Indeed. Today, Sir Hellsing requests that you see to fetching coffee and assisting in record sorting in the archives.”

“I’ve got it covered,” you affirmed. You rose from your desk and made way to your car. Once at the coffee shop, you decided to get a coffee for yourself; you’d need all the energy you could get to survive your extra shift. You drove back to the headquarters and wiggled out of your car. You expertly navigated the halls, balancing the trays of coffee like a princess with books on her head. You delivered the coffee to the attendees of a meeting, being met with pleasant thanks as usual. Before you left, you turned to look at the ceiling. When you were certain that there were no bodies hanging out of it, you returned to your work station.

“The archives… where are the archives?” you wondered aloud. You gathered some files from your desk and stepped out into the hall. For the first time since last week, you felt completely lost again. You wandered until you ran into another employee.

“Pardon me?” you began. You hugged your files close to your chest and rose a weak wave. “Do you know where I can find the archives?” Your coworker looked at you for a moment. 

“Ah, I don't think so… I’m probably just as new as you are.” The coworker was short and friendly-looking. She wore her hair in pigtails and had big, shiny, gunmetal blue eyes. Despite her sweet face, her dress was rather intense. She wore cargo pants tucked into high, thick-soled boots. The cuffs of her khaki shirt squeezed around her muscular arms and her sleeve bore the organization’s insignia.

“Oh, sorry… I haven’t met you yet, what department are you from?”

“I’m a soldier!”

“Wow! Thank you for your service. I’m just an intern.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you! Come to think of it, I think the archive is downstairs in the basement. I remember seeing a couple others headed down there. Actually, it shouldn’t be far from my room. I can show you the way if you’d like.”

“Yes, please! You’re my hero.”

She motioned you to follow and took you down through the halls and to the foyer. She made way to the descending stairs and trotted down into the darkness. That was the first time you had been able to comprehend the basement. The walls were stone and lit by lights one could find in a submarine. The ceilings were low and cramped, aiding to a castle-like feel.

“It’s on the next floor down,” the coworker explained. “I think I remember seeing the master walking in there. Now that I think about it, it’s odd…”

“Master? You mean Sir Hellsing? She’s up in her office, it couldn’t be her.”

“Oh, no, Sir Integra’s my boss.” Her voice bounced as she stepped down another flight of stairs. “I doubt you’ve met him. Say, I forgot to ask, what’s your name?”

You told her.

“That’s quite pretty, innit.” She stopped and turned to face you at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m Seras.” She shook your hand and smiled; you reciprocated her warmth. She turned back to lead you again, eyeballing the doors. “That there’s my room.” You looked in through the open door and felt a pang in your chest when you saw a coffin in the dead center of the floor.

“Why is there a…?”

“Uh… well, you see, the thing is…”

“It’s alright, I expect anything at this point.” You turned up your hip to check your pager. “Wait, then why are you awake?”

“I needed to talk to Sir Integra, but she’s never awake when I am.” Her expression dropped. “I feel like a corpse.”

“Pardon me for asking, but aren’t you already…?” She looked at you.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she laughed. “The archive is just over there, through those doors. I’ll be on my way now, it was nice to meet you!” You waved as she hopped back up the stairs. _Sigh_. Two vampires in one week was plenty. You stepped up to a heavy set of wooden double doors, pulling on the ring handles and shivering as the doors whined. You were greeted by a sprawling library, filled with cabinets and books for massive heights. Antique furniture lay here and there, waiting to be illuminated by green lamps. A haze of dust perfumed the room with a smell of musk. Your heels howled through the huge space with each step.

“Oi, you’re the new girl, right?” came a voice from behind a bookshelf. A young man in a dress shirt and slacks stepped out to greet you.

“Oh yeah! Hi Amir, that’s me.” Amir was a fellow intern that you met on your first day. He had an intense demeanor, but had been quite amicable to you.

“This here is your share. These belong another floor down.” He plopped a stack of files on top of what you were already carrying. “Sharyl and I have already started sorting here. Think you can find it?”

“I got it. Thank you!” With that, you weaved through the bookshelves to find the spiral staircase descending further down. You stepped tenderly on the short, wooden steps, sending a clunk through the stairwell with each footfall. The third basement floor was even more daunting. Dim lanterns lit dusty desks and ornate bookshelves. You surveyed the gold plaques on the sides of the shelves, looking for the matches to your files. You found the right shelf and got down on your knees to begin sorting, but you jumped and squeaked when you heard the sound of a page turning. You whipped around to search for the source. Squinting into a dark, bookshelf-covered corner, you noticed a significant figure shadowing an antique sofa. You felt a vibration in your ribs as a tremor of dread raced like snakes through your limbs. You crossed to a nearby desk to turn on a lamp and cranked it to the figure, who raised its arm and whined. It was Alucard. You sighed, but still kept your guard up.

“Turn it off,” he complained. You pointed it back down on the desk but left it on. He lowered his arm.

“What are you doing down here during the day?” He groaned and turned away from his book dramatically. He made it quite clear he just wanted to read.

“I can’t sleep.” You paused.

“Whatcha readin’?” He tilted the cover back to check.

“ _Wuthering Heights_.” You let your head wander for a second. His gaze lay nestled in the book, still and sleepy with bags under his eyes. His long legs draped across the sofa and his hands lifted his book gently. Seeing him still and lethargic made him much less intimidating. You slid onto the couch across from him. He kept reading for a minute, but peeled away again when he noticed you staring. “What do you want?”

“Just wanna meet my coworkers.”

“Mhm.”

“Y’know, I read that book in high school. Well, kinda.” He was silent for a moment.

“I read it when it first released.”

“I didn’t know vampires liked to read.” He didn’t respond. “Sorry, was that rude?” No response again. “When was it released again? I’ve forgotten now.” He looked up again, confused.

“1840-something?” He paused, looking back at the book and fidgeting with the page corner. “At the time, critics said it was garbage. Naturally, it would take humans decades to pick up on its nuance.”

“Brontë did a good job portraying the dichotomy of heart and head,” you pondered, “and how the two must coexist.” He _hmph_ ed. Your brows pulled. He was so odd. Completely shut off to talking now, but just the other evening he was going out of his way to take care of you. Oh yeah, that reminded you. “Hey, I owe you a shirt and socks, they’re in my purse. I can bring them to you this evening.” He hummed. “Do you have my clothes?”

“Forget your clothes, they’re long gone.”

“What did you do with them?”

“Nothing. Those blood stains are never coming out.”

“Wouldn’t a vampire know how to clean blood stains?” He almost looked sheepish.

“...Integra usually does my laundry.” You giggled.

“Is she like your mom?” He sighed.

“ _No_.” You were silent. He pondered for a moment. “You did quite well that evening, Intern.”

“Oh… you mean Saturday?”

“You were quite unwavering. Thrust into battle at a moment’s notice, watching your higher-ups die right before you. Even in the face of death, you didn’t forfeit. Wailing for help is far more dignified than simply accepting defeat.” He set his book down and sat up, hunching over and grinning. “I like it.” You shuddered. You weren’t quite so scared anymore, he was just an oddball.

“My mentality ever since high school is that when it’s time, it’ll be time, and it’s never my decision when it’s time,” you sighed. “I keep going until it’s time, no matter what. That’s what my therapist taught me.” His grin pulled wider; he looked like a rabid dog waiting for kibble. His eyes were piercing red without his glasses and his hair almost seemed to move on its own as though they were Medusa’s snakes. His gaze made you feel exposed, as though he was staring into and dissecting your very soul. His expression relaxed and he leaned back, laying his arms over the back of the sofa. “So, uh…” you tripped on your words. “Thank you again, for saving me.”

“Yah-huh.”

“Could you maybe just wake me up next time, though?” He chuckled.

“Maybe try not to faint next time.” You scrunched your nose.

“Hey, Intern! Have you finished down there? I’ve got the next stack for you!” shouted Amir’s voice from the stairwell.

“I should get to work. Mind if I come visit you this evening?” Alucard shrugged with a half smile. You frowned. “Is that a yes?”

“Sure.” You sighed.

“Try to get some sleep,” you said. You started back towards the shelf, but turned back to wave. Alas, when you looked, Alucard had been replaced by a fleeting black fog. You picked up _Wuthering Heights_ , which had fallen open to chapter twenty three. You closed it and slid it onto the coffee table that separated the sofas.

“I’ll be up in a sec!” you shouted to Amir, heading for the stairs. You felt an odd sensation crawl up your spine.


End file.
